Although the Gedo Statue had only sealed the half of Shukaku's chakra that Jie had extracted, that was already enough to awaken the Ten-Tails.
After all, in Jie's original timeline, Madara had awakened the Ten-Tails with only an Eight-Tails tentacle and the Nine-Tails chakra inside Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
It had taken longer, but it had worked.
That was enough to prove Jie's method would work.
After the Gedo Statue's first eye opened, Jie did not stop to rest. He immediately moved on to the next tailed beast.
The sealing formula on the scroll containing the Two-Tails' chakra shattered, and Matatabi's deep-blue head began to force its way out of the scroll.
It had no chance to break free.
Jie activated Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals again, and the Two-Tails' chakra was forcibly suppressed, then drawn into a thin stream that flowed steadily into the Gedo Statue.
Now that the Gedo Statue had absorbed the One-Tail's chakra, the process was already faster.
Even though this was the complete Two-Tails, Jie estimated that sealing it would take no more than two days.
After several more days, the One-Tail through Six-Tails had all been sealed, and the sealing of the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, had also reached its final stage.
Once Chōmei was sealed, only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails would remain.
At that point, the nine tailed beasts would no longer exist as they were, and the Ten-Tails would reappear in the ninja world.
As the last trace of Chōmei's chakra was absorbed, the Gedo Statue's seventh eye opened.
Then it raised its head and let out a furious roar.
After regaining the chakra of seven tailed beasts, the Gedo Statue had recovered enough strength to devour the remaining tailed beasts directly.
Jie felt a surge of anticipation. He had spent so much effort in this era for this exact moment.
Once he revived the Ten-Tails and brought it back to his own timeline, even if the system did not give him another Six Paths chakra seed, it would not matter as much.
The Ten-Tails itself was already the greatest reward.
With it, Jie would have another path to Six Paths-level power, another trump card against the enemies waiting beyond the ninja world, and far more room to prepare for the future.
But just then, Jie noticed something.
Kurama had been struggling for days without stopping, but now it suddenly went still.
Its gaze snapped toward one direction.
Jie frowned slightly.
Leaving Kurama conscious had actually worked. He had not expected it to notice anything, especially not at a moment like this.
Still, Jie did not care who had arrived.
Reviving the Ten-Tails was only a few steps away. Once the Ten-Tails awakened, even Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki would have trouble stopping him.
With that thought, Jie did not hesitate.
The scroll containing Gyūki's chakra shot toward the Gedo Statue's mouth.
At the same time, the chains extending from the statue began to retract, dragging Kurama with them.
"You can't be allowed to destroy the ninja world!"
A voice came from the distance.
The next moment, wooden spears tore through the air, aimed not only at Jie, but also at the Eight-Tails scroll.
"Wood Release? Hashirama?"
Jie raised an eyebrow.
Wasn't Hashirama supposed to be discussing Konoha's founding with Madara right now?
Why had he suddenly come here to stop him from collecting the tailed beasts?
And what did collecting the tailed beasts have to do with destroying the ninja world?
Jie did not understand Hashirama's reasoning, but a few wooden spears were not worth his attention.
"Almighty Push!"
A powerful repulsive force burst from Jie's body.
In an instant, the wooden spears were blasted away.
If Hashirama had only aimed at him, Jie might have used Kamui and ignored the attack. But the Eight-Tails scroll was fragile. If the seal broke, Gyūki would escape.
Catching it again would not be difficult, but Jie did not want the extra trouble.
Then his eyes narrowed.
He had clearly knocked away every wooden spear.
Yet the Eight-Tails scroll still shattered.
Gyūki's enormous body burst out into the air, and without the slightest hesitation, it opened its mouth and fired a Tailed Beast Ball.
Its target was clear.
The chains dragging Kurama into the Gedo Statue.
Jie's eyes went cold.
The wooden spears had all been stopped. From beginning to end, the Eight-Tails scroll had not been touched.
And yet it had still broken.
An invisible attack, Hashirama's sudden arrival, and this timing were enough for Jie to understand what had happened.
"So Black Zetsu really did find himself helpers."
His voice turned colder.
"All that strength, and still this easy to fool."
The next instant, nothing seemed to move around him, but Jie tilted his head to the side.
"Do you really think the same move will work on me twice?"
He turned toward the shadow beneath a nearby tree.
Since his hiding place had already been exposed, a figure slowly stepped out from the darkness.
Black armor.
A war fan in hand.
The man was none other than Hashirama's closest friend, the person who should also have been preparing to build Konoha.
Uchiha Madara.
The moment Madara appeared, Jie saw the ripples in his eyes.
His guess was confirmed.
"Limbo: Border Jail."
Jie's eyes narrowed slightly.
"But I'm more curious about something else."
"How did you awaken the Rinnegan so quickly?"
Awakening the Rinnegan required both Indra's and Asura's chakra.
Madara should not have reached that point this quickly. If he had, then someone who understood Indra, Asura, and the Rinnegan must have interfered.
Jie did not need to think long to know who it was.
Black Zetsu.
If Black Zetsu had interfered, Madara awakening the Rinnegan this quickly was surprising, but not impossible.
What annoyed Jie was not Madara awakening the Rinnegan.
It was what Madara had done after gaining that power.
Instead of defeating Hashirama and taking control of Konoha, he had brought Hashirama here to interfere with Jie's plan.
Jie had taught Madara Sage Mode, giving him enough strength to fight Hashirama head-on.
And now Madara had brought Hashirama here to stop him.
Only someone like Madara could repay kindness like this.
"Jie."
Hashirama had arrived by now as well.
His usual warmth was gone.
"I never thought this was your true goal."
"You stole the power of the Dragon Vein from Rōran, taught Madara Sage Mode to push us into fighting until both sides were wounded, then used the idea of a village to keep us distracted."
"While we were focused on Konoha, we helped you gather the tailed beasts without even realizing it."
Hashirama looked at Jie coldly.
"I never imagined anyone could plan this far."
Jie understood every word Hashirama said.
But when those words were put together, he was completely confused.
What did any of this have to do with him?
Had Black Zetsu fooled Hashirama instead of Madara this time?
Jie was about to speak, but Madara stepped forward and cut him off.
"You don't need to argue."
"I already know the truth."
"You are not from this ninja world at all."
Jie paused.
Had Madara discovered that he came from another timeline?
But looking at Madara's expression, there was clearly more.
So Jie held back and decided to listen.
"You are not from this ninja world, so naturally, you cannot truly be an Uchiha."
Madara's voice was low.
"You are an invader from beyond the heavens."
"In ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths appeared to defeat beings like you. That was why he created Ninshū."
"The nine tailed beasts were the final defense he left behind for the ninja world, in case your kind returned."
"And now you are capturing them and merging them back together to destroy that defense."
"Once that happens, there will be no one left in the ninja world who can stop you."
Madara glared at Jie.
"Uchiha Jie... no."
"Invader from beyond the heavens."
"What a vicious scheme."
After hearing Madara's words, Jie's confusion only grew.
But through that explanation, he finally understood one thing.
These two idiots had definitely been fooled by Black Zetsu.